Gardner–Webb University (also known as Gardner–Webb,GWU, or GW) is a private, four-year university located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, United States, 50 miles (80 km) west of Charlotte. Founded as Boiling Springs High School in 1905 as a Baptist institution, it is currently the youngest North Carolina Baptist university.

Gardner–Webb undergraduates receive a liberal arts education in an environment that fosters "meaningful intellectual thought, critical analysis, and spiritual challenge within a diverse community of learning."[2] The University encourages its graduates to make significant contributions for God and humanity in an ever-changing global community.[2]

Over 4,300 students attend Gardner–Webb, including both undergraduates and graduates. A total of five professional schools, two academic schools, and 11 academic departments offer nearly 60 fields of study, and GWU's online programs have won multiple awards and recognitions. GWU's Runnin' Bulldogs are NCAADivision I and are part of the Big South Conference.[3]

On December 2, 1905, the Boiling Springs High School was chartered as a result of an initiative sponsored by the Kings Mountain Baptist Association (Cleveland County) and the Sandy Run Baptist Association (Rutherford County). The institution served as a place "where the young...could have the best possible educational advantages under distinctive Christian influence."[4] In May 1905 Boiling Springs Baptist Church voted to offer its old church house, five acres of land, and $2,700 to the institution,[5][6] and on July 10, 1905 Boiling Springs was officially chosen for the site of the school. The location of the High School was essential, as it was located near the border of the school's sponsors, Kings Mountain and Sandy Run, and had easy access to brick building materials.[7] The institution's name, Boiling Springs High School, was decided on October 27, 1905, and its charter was accepted less than two months later by the school's trustees. The town of Boiling Springs is named after the natural springs that can be found on campus. They provided clean water for the school when it began operation in 1907.

J.D. Huggins was made the High School's first principal on July 25, 1907.[6][8] The complete faculty, which consisted of only five teachers, including Huggins, was hired by the fall of 1907. Classes started in October of the same year, although the main building, the Huggins-Curtis Building, was not complete. Students lived in various homes in the community and used classrooms from the nearby elementary school until the building's completion in 1908. The building included classrooms, auditoriums, a chapel, library, principal's office, cafeteria, living quarters, literary societies, a music room, and parlors.[9] Although it burned down in 1957, it signified the promise and progress of the school so far.

Boiling Springs High School focused on Christian education, as evident in the school's motto, Pro Deo et Humanitate (for God and Humanity). These words were inscribed upon "the ageless granite arch" on campus, which still exists today.[10] Original tuition was $76.05 for a term of nine months, and although the school attracted a wide variety of students with varied interests, its focus centered around ministerial education.[11]

The high school became Boiling Springs Junior College in 1928 due to the changing educational needs of the area. The Great Depression created many obstacles for the College, but its survival was secured by the sacrifices of loyal supporters.[4] The college began with seven departments: English, mathematics, natural science, foreign language, social science, Bible, and education.[12] The first graduating class consisted of roughly 200 students, with one of the earliest graduates being W. J. Cash, author of The Mind of the South.[13]

In 1942, Governor O. Max Gardner began devoting his energy, time, and wealth to strengthening the College. On June 15, the trustees voted to change the name to Gardner–Webb Junior College in honor of Gardner and his wife, Fay Webb-Gardner. During the following year, the institution embarked on a $300,000 financial campaign. At the conclusion of this initiative the trustees announced the school to be debt-free.[14]

The decades following World War II were years of physical growth and academic development. New buildings went up as enrollments increased. A major step in the institutions' development was its full accreditation as a senior college in December, 1971. In 1980 the college began a graduate program, which became the Graduate School in the 1990s.[15] The School of Divinity was also founded during this time. The institution officially became known as Gardner–Webb University in January 1993, culminating years of preparation, and by the early 2000s the school had more than 3,200 students and 135 faculty members.

Today, Gardner–Webb is a flourishing regional institution, which offers eight distinct degree programs, has a highly qualified faculty and a campus of over 200 acres.[4] The campus has recently grown with the addition of the Tucker Student Center, a building made possible by a $5 million donation by Robert and Carolyn Tucker, owners of Shoe Show, Inc. in Kannapolis, N.C.[17] In May 2012, the Department of Health and Science announced a plan to launch a physician assistant program beginning January 2014.[18]

The Tucker Student Center was completed in Fall 2012, and serves as a central place where students and faculty can meet, study, and dine. Made possible because of a $5 million gift from Lisa and Robert Tucker, the donation is the largest one in the University's history.[20] The building, which contains the campus shop and student mailboxes, is 110,000 square-feet and sits overlooking the Lake Hollifield Complex at the center of campus. Entertainment options include a multi-story rock climbing wall, a movie theatre and screening room, pool table, air hockey, and lounge areas.[20] The Student Center's restaurants increase the food options on campus with WOW Cafe (World of Wings), SubConnection, Mein Bowl Authentic Asian Cuisine, and the Broad River Coffee Company.

Dover Campus Center was constructed in 1966 where the Huggins-Curtis building used to be located. It was renovated in 1990 and houses the student cafeteria, lounges, Chick-fil-a, Undergraduate Admissions offices, and Ritch Banquet Hall. The building is named in memory of Charles I. Dover of Shelby, N.C.[21]

The Quad is located in the center of campus, and is the location of the majority of dormitories and academic buildings, including Craig Hall (English), Withrow Science Building, O. Max Gardner Hall (Music), and E. B. Hamrick Hall (Business). It is the location of most of the student activities on campus.

The John R. Dover Memorial Library was built in 1974 to meet the demands of an expanding student body. Students are able to access over 90 databases on topics including literature, religion, music, psychology, nursing and allied health.[22]

The Lake Hollifield Complex is located between Tucker Student Center and University Commons and is named after Mr. and Mrs. Hugh H. Hollifield.[23] The complex features a jogging track, seating areas, and the Lake Hollifield Bell Tower, which contains a 48 bell carillon and is the site of incoming freshmen’s first campus worship service each year.[24]

Suttle Wellness Center is located in the University Physical development Complex. It is a health and wellness education and resource center available to all students, faculty, staff, and family members of faculty and staff. The center contains a fitness room complete with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, a recreation room with ping pong, pool, foosball, and air hockey, and a student lounge. The building also contains Bost Gymnasium, a free weight room, an aerobics studio, and the swimming pool.[25]

There are over 4,300 students enrolled at Gardner–Webb, including the day program, graduate studies, and the GOAL program (Greater Opportunities for Adult Learners). Out of these students, 63% are female and 37% are male, and in all come from a total of 21 foreign countries.[26] There are five professional schools, two academic schools, and 11 academic departments that offer nearly 60 undergraduate and graduate major fields of study. Approximately 33% of students major in business, 30% in social sciences, and 17% in nursing.[26]

There are 147 full-time faculty members, 79% of them with a Ph.D. or equivalent. The average class size is about 25 and the faculty to student ration is 1:15, although some classes may contain close to 30 students.[26][27]

The Greater Opportunities for Adult Learners program offers students opportunities to continue their studies in order to obtain a baccalaureate degree. To be a part of the program, students must have completed 60-64 semester hours from a regionally accredited institution. Courses take place on weekday evenings and occasionally on weekends in sixteen centers reaching across North Carolina, from Supply to Spruce Pine, with the most prominent being on Gardner–Webb's main campus, Charlotte, Hickory, Statesville, and Winston-Salem.[29]

The Noel Program for Students with Disabilities is designed to assist disabled students with obtaining their degrees. The program offers services for those who are blind, deaf, or learning disabled, and "seeks to provide reasonable accommodations in order for students to receive equal access to a higher education while striving to assist students to obtain the knowledge, skills and confidence to become effective self advocates."[30] Services offered include note-takers, interpreters, lab assistants, mobility training, and adaptive technology.[31]

In the 2015 college rankings of U.S. News & World Report, Gardner–Webb was ranked 34th (out of more than 130 schools) among regional universities in the South.[32] The University also placed in the top tier of graduate schools in the country in the fields of Education and Nursing (390th).[33][34] In the Top Online Programs Rankings, Gardner-Webb's Business Programs ranked first in Student Services and Technology out of 161 colleges and universities across the nation.[35] Also under the Top Online Programs Rankings, the University placed 15th in Faculty Credentials and Training and 27th in Student Engagement and Accreditation.[36][37][38] In 2011, "The Chronicle of Higher Education" placed Gardner-Webb as one of America's best colleges to work for, one of only four colleges in North Carolina and 111 nationwide to earn the recognition.[39] On a global scale, the University's Online MBA Program was ninth for the year of 2012, according to Business MBA's list of the "Top 50 MBA Programs for 2012." [40] For exhibiting what it calls “institutionalized community engagement,” the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected Gardner–Webb for the Community Engagement Classification, one of only 311 schools to have earned the distinction since the Classification’s inception in 2006.[41] GWU's core curriculum also ranks in the nation's top two percept for quality and breadth, according to the 2011-2012 What Will They Learn? study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The study rated schools on an "A" through "F" scale, where Gardner-Webb was among only 19 schools, and the only school in the Carolinas, to earn an "A."[42][43]

Gardner–Webb offers its students a variety of competitive, performance based, and other scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition and fees.[44] The Presidential Fellows scholarship is the most prestigious, given only to five recipients, and covers full tuition, room, and board, amounting to $32,190 for the 2012-2012 academic year.[45] Recipients must maintain a 3.5 GPA and show outstanding character and leadership. Academic Fellows and University Fellows scholarships also require a minimum 3.5 GPA, and cover $24,250 and $19,400 of tuition, respectively.[45] Five students receive the Academic Fellows Scholarship each year, while two receive the University Fellows Scholarship.

The University offers other scholarships as well, such as the Provost Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Achievement Scholarship, Gardner–Webb Scholarship, and Great Choice Scholarships.[46] These students must keep a minimum GPA of 2.8.[47]

Gardner–Webb students are expected to follow a strict honor code, signing a pledge upon enrollment to "uphold honesty, integrity, and truthfulness in all realms of University life."[48] These forms are kept in the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Student Development and clearly state that academic lying and cheating will not be tolerated.

Student and faculty responsibilities are clearly outlined in the code, showing that students are fully responsible for their own works and that plagiarism, improper citations, and other forms of unoriginal work are subject to disciplinary actions.[49] Faculty are held responsible for explaining all assignments as thoroughly and clearly as possible, and must be willing to investigate and, if circumstances warrant, press charges against students suspected of academic dishonesty.[48]

If a student is suspected to have committed academic dishonesty, he or she must undergo a process of warnings, reports, conferences, and Judicial Board hearings based on the severity of the action. While the Board decides the institutional punishment (academic probation, suspension, etc.), the instructor of the student's course will determine the student's grade in the course.[48]

Any student found responsible for a third offense of academic dishonesty will be expelled from the University with the action so noted on the student's transcript.[48]

Gardner–Webb gives its students a variety of residential opportunities on campus, with nine residence halls, four suite style buildings, and seven apartment buildings. All undergraduate students are required to live on campus unless they live with family, are at least 21 years of age prior to an academic year, have lived in a residence hall for at least six semesters, are part-time students (taking less than 12 hours), are married, or have served in 120 days of active military service.[52]

The residence halls are separated by sex, with girls living in Decker, Spangler, Myers, H.A.P.Y., Nanney, and Stroup. Boys live in Lutz-Yelton, Mauney, and Royster, although some dorms become co-ed based on the boy:girl ratio on campus. Currently, the student body is 63% female and 37% male.[53] The dormitories are equipped with free washing machines and dryers, community bathrooms, and residence lobbies equipped for lounging and studying.

Apartments A, B, C, D, E, F, and H, also known as University Commons, are located near the Lake Hollifield Complex. One building contains 12 apartments, each one with a furnished living area, four furnished single bedrooms, a (free) laundry room, two bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen area with an oven, stove, microwave, refrigerator, sink, and dishwasher. Although the building is co-ed, each apartment is not.[54]

Suites G, I, and J are located in the same area as the apartments, and are similar to them except that they house eight students per unit instead of four. Each suite contains four bedrooms big enough for two students, two bathrooms, a furnished living room, and a half kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, and sink. Campus House, located between Nanney Hall and University Commons, also offers suite style living.[55]

Gardner–Webb offers its students opportunities to become involved in a number of activities and organizations around campus. Students work with the Student Leadership and Activities Office to start new organizations.[56]

A wide variety of organizations are available, including honors societies, clubs, performance groups, sports groups, religious organizations and services, and arts and culture groups. Each department has its own honors society, ranging from Beta Beta Beta to Sigma Tau Delta. Alpha Chi is the most prestigious honors society that the school offers, requiring its members to be in the top ten percent of their junior or senior classes. Religious organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are open to all students and focus on Christian fellowship.[57] The Student Government Association (SGA) represents the interest of Gardner–Webb and promotes University and student projects dealing with social, cultural, and academic life. SGA promotes the general welfare of the student body and encourages them to become involved in extracurricular activities "to foster interaction among faculty, staff, and students." [56]

Gardner–Webb offers multiple recreational activities designed to "enrich the quality of physical, mental, spiritual, and social life of University community members." [58] Fitness classes, like zumba, aerobics, yoga, and dance, are available, as well as individual training sessions offered through the Suttle Wellness Center.[25] The Broyhill Adventure Course, located next to University Commons and Spangler Stadium, offers students a unique outdoor adventure challenge and opportunities to experience climbing and problem solving. The Tucker Student Center also has a three-story tall climbing wall.

The intramural program offers a variety of individual and team sports during both semesters to accommodate student interests and abilities. Any current student, faculty, or staff member may participate. Sports include beach volleyball, kickball, indoor soccer, disc golf, softball, and basketball, among others. Teams can play under male, female, or coed leagues.[59][60]

In 2013, Gardner–Webb hired head coach Carrol McCray, former head coach of North Greenville and a Gardner-Webb alumni. The Gardner–Webb football team has played difficult opponents throughout its history, including Georgia Tech, Appalachian State, Mississippi State, Wofford, Ohio, and Pittsburgh.[62] The team posted an athletic department cumulative GPA of 3.08 in 2011-2012, and suited up six graduate students in 2012, the most active graduates on the same team since the Bulldogs moved to Division I in 2000.[63]

Gardner–Webb men's basketball has also been a growing program and continue to do so under head coach, Tim Craft. In 2012, the team played against opponents University of North Carolina and earlier, in the 2007-2008 season, pulled an 84-68 upset win against the University of Kentucky.[64] They have reached every national tournament on every level except for the NCAA Division I Men’s National Tournament. [65]

In 2011, the women's team were Big South Conference champions and were awarded a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship tournament, facing No. 3 seed Miami. This was the first appearance for the team in the tournament.[66]

In 2012, Gardner–Webb University's men's swimming team placed third at the 2008 CCSA conference, setting several school records and finishing closely behind College of Charleston and Davidson. The women also placed third at the conference championships. Before joining the CCSA conference the women’s swim team was a part of the NEC. As of 2007, the women’s team was four time NEC conference champions.[67]

In 2012, the women's team won its twelfth consecutive Scholastic All-America (CSCAA) honor, averaging a 3.55 grade average and falling behind schools like Columbia University by .01 and Dartmouth College by .06. The list includes all Division I women's swim teams that average a 3.0 GPA or higher.[68][69] The men's team also made the list for Division 1 men's swimming teams, averaging a 3.17 GPA and placing .01 ahead of schools like George Washington University.[70]

In 2013, the Men's team recorded Division I's fourth-highest GPA at 3.38. The women recorded an eighth-highest GPA finish among NCAA Division I institutions with an average of 3.47.[71] At their conference meet, the Men broke 3 relay records and 5 individual records.[72] A total of 15 individual and relay records were broken or re-broken during the meet, Lile was a part of 8.

Gardner–Webb's women's soccer program has been a consistent winner since 1999 under head coach, Kevin Mounce. Even through the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, the Runnin' Bulldogs have won matches at an unparalleled pace that the University has never witnessed before. In the past nine years, the team has won a total of six seasons and at least eight matches in a single-season eight times.[73]

The Gardner-Webb community was rocked by scandal in the fall of 2002 when ordained minister and Gardner-Webb president of 16 years, Dr. Christopher White, admitted to writing a memo two years before ordering a star basketball player's grade-point average to be calculated without the "F" he received for cheating in his religion class, thereby allowing the athlete to play. Without the grade change, Carlos Webb would have been ineligible in 2000–01, the season Gardner-Webb won the National Christian College Athletic Association championship. Carlos Webb was also named most valuable player that day. Two years later Gardner-Webb became an NCAA Division I school. Under the university's honor code, a "cheating F" can never be removed from a student's transcript because it is a direct violation of the Gardner-Webb honor code. By removing the "F", some[who?] believed president White destroyed the power of the honor code and the integrity of Gardner–Webb University.

After eight days of student protests, the school's trustees affirmed Christopher White's presidency after a 10-hour meeting on September 27, 2002, though they demoted two administrators who had criticised the president's decision: the vice president of academic affairs and his assistant. Initially, three faculty members also resigned as a result of the scandal. In the end, eight faculty members and administrators (later called "The Group of 8") suffered professional hardship due to demotion, resignation, or firing. The group of eight which led the faculty revolt against White included Blackburn, Williams, and Price.

Opponents said White's action and the trustees' failure to punish him violated the spirit of Gardner-Webb's honor code, while the president's backers, including the chairman of the board of trustees, said they were convinced White did not violate the letter of any school rules and that he acted in a spirit of fairness toward Carlos Webb, who had been incorrectly advised he could get the "F" removed from his GPA by retaking the class. Trustees chairman Thomas Hardin said his board concluded that, while White's action was wrong, the president should not have been removed for a mistake made two years before. He said the demoted administrators were punished not for speaking out but because in doing so they violated a student's right to privacy.

White explains in The New York Times why he made the decision to change Carlos Webb's grade. White said "In trying to make a decision, there are two guiding principles: One is the university's word. When we tell a student this is what he needs to do, we need to stand by that. The second thing is, I'm very concerned with student rights. They are our customers. They are our clients. We don't exist for ourselves. We exist for them. They deserve to be treated fairly." Webb was incorrectly advised that if he took the course again and passed, his F would be replaced.

For nearly two weeks students picketed on the corner of College Avenue and Main Street with signs calling for the president's resignation and questioning his integrity. Students were seen with copies of the Honor Code in their black frames taken from classrooms and the glass front broken and black tape over the poster. The scandal tore the Gardner-Webb community apart.[citation needed]

In early October 2002, Dr. Christopher White resigned as Gardner–Webb University’s president and the grade remained on the student athlete’s transcript. Gardner-Webb was put on NCAA probation for a five-year period that ended in early 2007.

As a Baptist founded university, Gardner–Webb offers and exhibits many Christian aspects. The Office of Christian Life and Service encourages and challenges the University community in its Christian growth, offering pastoral care to students, faculty, administration and staff.[74] It provides vocational counseling and referral service to students interested in church related vocations as well, and coordinates the planning of worship services held for the University and community, like the Dimensions program. The Office hopes that "through ministry organizations, students are encouraged and challenged in personal discipleship, corporate worship, and life-changing ministry and mission experiences." [74]

Dimensions is a graduation requirement for all Gardner-Webb students. The purpose is to nurture attendants spiritually, intellectually and culturally from the perspective of a Christian world view and to promote a sense of community.[75] The program is offered every Tuesday during both the Fall and Spring semesters and counts as 1/2 credit hour. A new speaker addresses the University every week, ranging from staff and faculty to artists and political speakers, all of whom address subjects that relate to the school's core Christian beliefs. Students must attend 10 sessions each semester for six semesters to obtain all of the Dimensions credits needed to graduate, having a total of 3 credit hours in the course by the end of their academic careers. Credit is given on a pass/fail basis.[76] This means that a total of six semesters, or 60 dimensions, must be attended before graduation.

Campus Ministries United is an umbrella association that has worked with Gardner-Webb to create student run ministry groups. Each CMU Council is composed of student leaders who well represent the ideas of Christian Life and Service. Along with the University's ministerial staff, the Council seeks to "promote a passionate and enduring devotion to Christ among students of Gardner-Webb." [77] Student Ministries supports student led worship services like The Verge, which welcomes all students to worship with others through music, speakers, drama, and fellowship.[78] F.O.C.U.S. Ministries (Fellowship of Christians United in Service), is another program that consists of teams of students who are involved with leading youth retreats locally and regionally.[79]

In February 2014, openly gay minister and Gardner-Webb alumnus Cody Sanders[80] was invited to speak about his recent book "Queer Lessons for Churches on the Straight and Narrow: What All Christians can Learn from LGBTQ Lives”[81] as a part of the Life of the Scholar speaker series.[82] Sanders's invitation to Gardner-Webb received greater attention and stoked widespread controversy after a letter to the editor titled "Where are the wise at Gardner-Webb?" was published in The Biblical Recorder, the bi-weekly newspaper of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC).[83] This prompted Gardner–Webb University President Frank Bonner to publish a response in the same paper.[84]

Brook Collins: CEO Bizzy Bee Exterminators (President NPA 2007; National Pest Association), Atlanta Business Journal Man of the Year 2006. U.S. News & World Report young business professional of the year 2006. Forbes 2007 list.

W.J. Cash: Author of Mind of the South (1917-18 when the University was Boiling Springs High School; Cash's sister Bertie attended 1928-30 as Junior College student)